Visual Rhetoric for Student Writers
Purdue Writing Lab
Overview
This presentation will cover
Definition(s) of visual rhetoric Why visual rhetoric is important today Visual rhetoric and
Text Color Graphics Overall design
What is Visual Rhetoric?
Definitions and applications
Use of images as argument
Arrangement of elements on a page Use of typography (fonts, etc.) Analysis of existing images and visuals
What is Visual Rhetoric?
Visual Literacy
Visual Thinking
Visual Learning
Visual Communication
Metaphoric Thinking
Visualization
Design of Materials
Read Pictures
Art
Media Visual Rhetoric
Source of Imagery
Research on Learning
Aesthetics
Right Brain/ Left Brain
Mental Nodes
Why is Visual Rhetoric Important?
We use visual thinking as a major part of our cognition (thinking process) We live in a visually dominated world, so We must be able to read, dissect, and produce effective visuals
Why is Visual Rhetoric Important?
Visual thinking pervades all human activity,
from the abstract and the theoretical to the
down-to-earth and everyday
Robert McKim, Experiences in Visual Thinking, 1980
Visual Rhetoric and
Text elements
How type functions and choosing fonts Headline versus body text Text and the Web
Color Visuals and graphics
Clip art Illustrations and diagrams Graphs Photographs and manipulated images
Overall design
How Type Functions
Personalities of type
Formal and informal fonts
Consequences and font choices
Consider effect of font choice Personality and appropriateness
Font Personalities Example
Choosing Appropriate Fonts
Font choice will build or harm ethos (authors credibility)
Context and purpose of document is important Cultural and visual associations of fonts should fit document
Font Choice Example 1
Font Choice Example 2
Headline Versus Body Text
How text functions
Type of text dictates font choice
Emphasis and attention
Information
Sustained readability
Headline & Body Text Example
Text and the Web
Differences between print and the Web
Accommodating users and browsers HTML standard fonts Screen readability
Color and Contrast
Most basic and critical choice
Black text on white background shows high contrast and is most common
White text on black background is not ideal
Font Contrast Example
Computer Screens and Color
Pixels and colors on screen
RGB values
Color saturation
Cultural associations of color
More Color Examples
Clip Art
Using packaged clip art
Avoid the cartoony effect
Choose clip art that truly fits the purpose of the document Match design schemes
Consider creating images
Clip Art Examples
Illustrations and Diagrams
Purpose to inform
Conveys specific information Relates to content in document More than an accent
Striving for clarity
Avoid clutter Choose selective pictures of reality Break up large amounts of information
Graphs
Choosing how to represent quantitative information
Pie charts and showing parts of a whole Bar graphs and numeric comparisons Line graphs and plotting changes
Photographs
Found images versus captured photographs
Copyright Composition and quality
Achieving effects with photos
Photo Examples
Overall Design
Creating paths for the eye
Striking, eye-catching elements Finding information easily
Design as rhetorical organization Consistency in design
Avoid kitchen-sink syndrome Pitfalls of pre-fab templates
Stepping Back
Is your design clarifying your information? Is your design unique enough to make it stand out? Is your design readable from its intended distance? Have you checked for typos and errors? When designing for the Web, have you checked your design on different computers and in different browsers?
Additional Resources
The Non-Designers Design Book and The Non-Designers Web Book, both by Robin Williams Color Index by Jim Krause
Idea Index by Jim Krause
What is Graphic Design? by Quentin Newark
For More Assistance
The Writing Lab at Purdue 226 Heavilon Hall
765-494-3723
OWL: [Link]
The End
